Kevin Dillard (Courtesy of UD athletics)

Courtesy of DaytonFlyers.com.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.– The Dayton Flyers defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers 86-70 to capture the 2011 Old Spice Classic championship.

Five Flyers scored in double figures led by the Old Spice Classic Most Valuable Player, Kevin Dillard. Dillard recorded 19 points, 10 assists and career-highs with seven steals and three blocks.

Chris Johnson had 18 points and six rebounds and Josh Benson scored 16 on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.

Josh Parker added 12 points and Luke Fabrizius scored 11 as the Flyers won their fourth in a row and improved to 5-1 overall.

The Old Spice Classic is Dayton’s 12th in-season tournament championship. UD has won three of the last five it has participated in and is the first since taking the 2008 Chicago Invitational Challenge.

Dayton also improved to 14-5 against BCS programs over the previous five seasons and has won eight of the last nine.

In the program’s history, Dayton had never beaten a Big Ten team by double-figures prior to the game against Minnesota. It was their first win against a Big Ten foe since winning at Illinois during a run to the 2010 NIT title. It was their first regular-season win over the a Big Ten school since knocking off Purdue in 2001-02 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Flyers led by as many as 18 in the second half and cruised thanks to some sharp shooting. Dayton connected on 47 percent of their shots and converted 12-of-27 from 3-point range. The Flyers also shot 86 percent at the free throw line converting 18-of-21 shots.

UD led 37-28 at halftime after connecting on seven 3-pointers. The Flyers used a 25-5 run to end the opening 20 minutes.

Dillard finished the game 6-of-12 from the field, hit two shots from beyond the arc and went 5-of-6 at the free throw line.

The Flyers return home to face the Buffalo Bulls on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. ET.

Penn State men’s basketball coach Ed DeChellis will soon be leaving the Nittany Lions, ESPN’s Andy Katz reports. Katz reported on Monday, May 23, that DeChellis will be replacing Billy Lange, who is now an associate head coach at Villanova, as the head coach of Navy.

DeChellis was under much scrutiny while at Penn State; he headed a program that just couldn’t seem to stay consistent. And after the departure of seniors Talor Battle, Andrew Jones, Jeff Brooks, and David Jackson at the end of the 2011 season, DeChellis’ 2012 team certainly would have been a dismal one.

In spite of this, DeChellis’ sudden departure from the Nittany Lions is a surprise, especially because DeChellis’ team seemed to be making great improvements. DeChellis led the team to an NIT Championship in 2009 and he also led his team to the NCAA Tournament in 2011. The team made it to the second round, losing to Temple in what can only be described by Penn State students and fans as a heartbreaking loss. However, some may say that this loss cemented DeChellis’ non-existent future with the team.

DeChellis will end his eight year stay with the Nittany Lions with a record of 222-232.

At this time, it is uncertain who DeChellis’ replacement will be.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

A trip to the Sweet Sixteen is on the line when the Colonial Athletic Association collides with the  Big Ten in the Second City.

The No. 3 seed in the Southwest Region, Purdue will face VCU on Sunday for the right to advance to the Sweet 16
in San Antonio … Purdue is one of fi ve teams in the nation that has qualifi ed for the Sweet 16 in each of the last two
seasons … The Boilermakers have never faced VCU on the hardwood … Purdue defeated Saint Peter’s on Friday to
extend its nation-best streak of NCAA Tournament-opening wins to 13 games … The Boilermakers are 34-24 (.586) all-time in the NCAA Tournament … The Old Gold & Black is 3-0 in NCAA Tournament play in Chicago, 3-3 as a No. 3 seed in the Big Dance and 2-2 in tournament games against No. 11 seeds.

When Joey Rodriguez, Brandon Rozzell and Ed Nixon arrived on the campus of VCU back in 2007, one of their goals was to take the program somewhere it’s never been, the Sweet 16. On Sunday evening in the house that Michael Jordan built, the trio will get their chance when they matchup against the third-seeded Boilermakers of Purdue University in the third round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. 40 minutes for a right to play in the Sweet 16 in San Antonio next weekend. Nothing else needs to be said.

Rams continue NCAA tournament charge in clash with Boilermakers

VCU prepares for their game against Purdue

Boilermakers under pressure from motivated Rams

VCU roster

2010-11 PURDUE ROSTER
No. Name ………..Pos…….. Cl….. Ht…… Wt….. PPG…. RPG…. APG
0 Terone Johnson G ………Fr…… 6-2 …211….. 4.9….. 2.5…… 1.7
1 Anthony Johnson G …….Fr. ….6-3…. 175
2 Bubba Day ………G ………Jr….. 6-0…. 185….. 0.7….. 0.2….. 0.0
4 Robbie Hummel F Sr. 6-8 228
12 Kelsey Barlow .G ……….So…… 6-5… 193…… 5.1….. 2.9….. 1.6
14 Dru Anthrop ….G ………So…… 6-0 …175…… 0.4…. 0.2….. 0.2
21 D.J. Byrd ……..G/F……. So. ….6-5….. 225…… 5.2…. 3.0….. 1.8
23 Lewis Jackson G ………..Jr….. 5-9 ……165…… 7.9… 3.2…… 3.9
24 Ryne Smith G ……………Jr…… 6-3….. 190……. 5.8… 2.5….. 1.7
25 JaJuan Johnson F/C ….Sr….. 6-10….. 221….. 20.4.. 8.4…… 1.0
32 John Hart G ……………..So……. 6-2…. 196…….. 4.0… 1.1….. 0.7
33 E’Twaun Moore G ……..Sr…….. 6-4….. 191……. 18.2.. 5.1….. 3.1
41 Patrick Bade F ………….So…….. 6-8…. 229…….. 0.8… 1.5….. 0.1
50 Travis Carroll F ………..Fr…….. 6-9…. 230……… 1.3… 1.9…. 0.3
55 Sandi Marcius F ………R-Fr……. 6-9…. 257…….. 1.0…. 1.6…. 0.1

Purdue ……………………………Category …………………………………………….VCU
72.4 …………………………….Points per Game …………………………………….. 71.2
60.9 ……………………….Opponent Points per Game …………………………. 66.5
.447 …………………………. Field Goal Percentage ……………………………… .432
.409 …………………….Opponent Field Goal Percentage………………………. .449
.366 …………………….Three-Point Field Goal Percentage …………………….. .363
.324 …………………..Opponent Three-Point Field Goal Percentage …………. .344
6.9 …………………………Three-Point Field Goals per Game ……………………. 8.3
4.9 …………………….Opponent Three-Point Field Goals per Game …………… 5.5
.715 ……………………………Free Throw Percentage …………………………. .715
+2.0 …………………………….. Rebound Margin …………………………………-3.4
4.1 ………………………………Blocks per Game ……………………………….. 3.7
6.3 …………………………………Steals per Game ……………………………… 8.4
15.7 ……………………………… Assists per Game ……………………………. 14.1
10.5 ……………………………Turnovers per Game ………………………. 11.3
17.9 ……………………………….Fouls per Game ……………………………. 18.3

Notes courtesy of vcuathletics.com and purduesports.com

Michigan is making its 22nd (18th*) all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, its second in the last three seasons. The Wolverines are 42-20 (35-16*) all-time in the tournament. Michigan is making its second trip to the NCAA Tournament under John Beilein. In 2009, Beilein led the No. 10 seeded Wolverines to the second round, defeating No. 7 Clemson in the fi rst round before falling to No. 2 Oklahoma in the second round. Michigan is 12-3 (10-2*) all-time in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines are 5-5 (4-4*) all-time in the Round of 32. Michigan is a No. 8 seed for the fi rst time in its NCAA Tournament history. The Wolverines have played
in the No. 8 v. No. 9 fi rst round game twice as a No. 9 seed. The Wolverines defeated Navy, 97-82, in the
fi rst round in 1987, in Charlotte, N.C., and fell to No. 8 Western Kentucky in the 1995 NCAA Tournament,
82-76 in overtime, in Dayton, Ohio. Michigan will make its second NCAA Tournament appearance in Charlotte, N.C. The Wolverines fi rst appeared in the Queen City in the fi rst and second round in 1987, beating Navy, 97-82, before falling to top-seeded North Carolina, 109-97.

Duke, making its 35th NCAA Tournament appearance, has been one of the best NCAA Tournament teams in the history of college basketball. The Blue Devils’ .760 winning percentage (95-30) in NCAA Tournament play is the best all-time. Duke is tied for third in NCAA Tournament history with 95 wins and ranks fourth in games
played with 125.

Wolverines to challenge No. 3 Duke on Sunday for spot in Sweet 16

Michigan and Duke tangle with trip to Sweet 16 on the line

Much taller Duke to take on Michigan

Duke vs. Michigan

2010-11 WOLVERINE BASKETBALL ROSTER

0 Zack Novak F 6-4 210 Jr.
1 Stu Douglass G 6-3 190 Jr.-
2 Jordan Dumars F 6-5 220 So.
4 Darius Morris G 6-4 190 So.
5 Eso Akunne G 6-3 220 So.
10 Tim Hardaway Jr. G 6-5 185 Fr.
11 Darrick Ervin II G 5-11 160 Jr.
13 Matt Vogrich G 6-4 190 So.
15 Jon Horford F 6-9 220 Fr.
20 Josh Bartelstein G 6-2 205 So.
22 Blake McLimans F 6-10 240 R-Fresh
23 Evan Smotrycz F 6-9 225 Fr.
32 Corey Person G 6-3 200 Jr.
45 Colton Christian F 6-6 215 Fr.
52 Jordan Morgan F 6-8 240 R-Fresh

2010-11 Blue Devil roster

No. Name (Ht., Wt., Yr.) Pos. ……………..PPG…… RPG…….. APG
1 Kyrie Irving (6-2, 180, Fr.) G …………..17.0 ……3.8………. 4.7
2 Nolan Smith (6-2, 185, Sr.) G ……………20.9….. 4.5………. 5.3
3 Tyler Thornton (6-1, 185, Fr.) G ………..1.6……. 0.7……… 1.0
5  Mason Plumlee (6-10, 230, So.) F ……..7.2……. 8.4……… 1.5
12  Kyle Singler (6-8, 230, Sr.) F ………….17.0…… 6.8…….. 1.6
15 Josh Hairston (6-7, 210, Fr.) F …………1.5……. 1.3……… 0.1
20 Andre Dawkins (6-4, 205, So.) G ……….8.1……. 1.9 ……..0.6
21 Miles Plumlee (6-10, 245, Jr.) F ………..4.9 …….5.0…….. 0.4
30 Seth Curry (6-2, 180, So.) G ……………..9.5……. 1.9……… 2.0
34 Ryan Kelly (6-11, 235, So.) F …………….6.7…… 3.8……… 0.9
51 David Mayer (6-4, 195, Fr.) G
52 Todd Zafi rovski (6-9, 235, So.) F
53 Casey Peters (6-4, 200, Sr.) G

Stats Comparison
……………………………….Duke………….. Michigan
Points ………………………81.2……………….. 66.4
Opp. Points ……………….63.7……………….. 62.2
Rebounds ………………….38.3 ………………..32.1
Opp. Rebounds …………..35.3……………….. 33.7
Off. Rebounds …………….12.2…………………. 8.4
Opp. Off. Rebounds ………12.9………………… 9.6
Field Goal Pct. ……………..471 ………………..447
Opp. Field Goal Pct. ………398……………….. .427
3-Point Pct. ………………….378 ………………..352
Opp. 3-Point Pct. ……………316………………. .321
3-Point FGs …………………..8.0…………………. 8.1
Opp. 3-Point FGs …………..4.6………………….. 6.4
Free Throw Pct. ……………752………………… .695
Opp. Free Throw Pct. ……..642……………….. .676
Personal Fouls …………….17.7……………….. 16.6
Assists ……………………….14.5……………….. 13.7
Turnovers …………………..12.1……………….. 10.1
Opp. Turnovers ……………15.1………………… 11.7
Blocked Shots ………………4.4…………………… 2.0
Steals ………………………….7.5………………….. 4.7

Notes courtesy of mgoblue.com and goduke.com

Michigan at Ohio State

The 2^nd ranked, 11-0 Michigan Wolverines with coach Lloyd Carr came to Columbus to meet the top-ranked, 11-0 Ohio State Buckeyes with coach Jim Tressel.  The game marked the second time this season there was a match-up between teams ranked 1 & 2; Ohio State had claimed the Belt from second-ranked Texas in September.  While the annual battle between the Buckeyes & Wolverines provided the typical drama, the specifics of the game were anything but typical for the two Big Ten powerhouses including the sudden passing of famed Michigan coach Bo Schembechler the day before the game.  Ohio State’s Heisman Trophy winning, All-American QB Troy Smith threw 4 touchdown passes to 4 different receivers & the Buckeyes amassed 503 yards of total offense but they still had to withstand a spirited Michigan rally to retain the title with a 42-39 victory.  The Wolverines tried to take the Buckeyes game-script as they drove 80 yards in 7 plays on their opening drive with All-Big Ten RB Mike Hart getting the touchdown on a 1-yard run.  Ohio State tied the game at 7-7 after driving 69 yards in 14 plays.  The touchdown came on a 1-yard pass from Smith to WR Roy Hall.  The Buckeyes took advantage of some good field position early in the 2^nd quarter.  Getting the ball at their own 42-yard line, Smith scrambled for a 6-yard gain before RB Chris Wells broke an incredible 52-yard run for a score.  Wells took the handoff running to his left but was hit by a Wolverines’ lineman.  He spun back to the middle, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage & ran free giving the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead.  Another Michigan punt pinned the Buckeyes at their own 9-yard line, but Ohio State had another touchdown in just 4 plays.  After a 4-yard run by RB Antoino Pittman, Smith broke from the passing pocket & found WR Brian Robiskie who broke a tackle; running for a 39-yard gain.  Pittman’s 9-yard run put the ball at the Michigan 39-yard line & left the Buckeyes in a 2^nd & inches situation.  With their short-yardage formation in play, Smith instead ran a perfectly disguised play-action fake & connected with All-Big Ten WR Ted Ginn, Jr. on a 39-yard touchdown pass that gave Ohio State a 21-7 lead.  The Wolverines got their offense rolling again & QB Chad Henne found WR Adrian Arrington for a 37-yard touchdown pass to finish another 80-yard drive.  The Buckeyes ended the 1^st half scoring with their own 80-yard drive as Smith threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to WR Anthony Gonzalez for the score giving Ohio State a 28-14 halftime lead.  Michigan gained the momentum in the 3^rd quarter after forcing the Buckeyes to punt after just 3 plays, the Wolverines went to Hart.  He accounted for 59 yards on the 60-yard drive with the touchdown coming on a 2-yard run keeping Michigan within 7 points at 28-21.  Michigan’s All-Big Ten DT Alan Branch intercepted Smith on a deflected ball giving the Wolverines the ball at the Ohio State 25-yard line.  Michigan had to settle for a 39-yard field goal from All-Big Ten PK Garrett Rivas but they had closed a 14-point halftime lead to just 4 points with 8:41 left in the 3^rd quarter.  The Buckeyes took advantage of another long scoring play when Pittman broke through the line untouched & scored on a 56-yard touchdown run the seemed to put Ohio State back in control with a 35-24 lead.  Late in the 3^rd quarter, Branch recovered a fumble for Michigan on a bad snap at the Ohio State 9-yard line.  Hart scored the touchdown on a 1-yard run just 0:19 into the final quarter & the Wolverines trailed just 35-31.  Michigan was unable to take advantage of another Buckeyes’ fumble & had to punt before Ohio State drove 83 yards in 11 plays using 5:00 of game time with Smith throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Robiskie giving the Buckeyes a 42-31 lead with just 5:27 to play.  Michigan was far from finished though as they drove 81 yards in 11 plays with Henne throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to TE Tyler Ecker.  With the 2-point conversion, the Wolverines closed to 42-39 with an onside kick attempt coming.  Ohio State recovered the onside kick, made a first down, & ran out the clock to close a memorable match-up from the long series.  Smith finished with 316 yards passing with 4 touchdowns but an interception, Pittman added 139 yards rushing to his score, & Ginn, Jr. had 8 catches for 104 yards to go with his touchdown.  For Michigan, Henne threw for 267 yards with 2 touchdowns but was sacked 4 times while Hart rushed for 142 yards to go with his 3 touchdowns.  The Wolverines finished the season 11-2, ranked 8^th nationally while the Buckeyes finished 12-1, Big Ten Champions & ranked 2^nd nationally.  Michigan has not played for The Belt again.

The College Football Belt

Coach: Matt Painter 137-61 in six years (112-56 in five campaings with Purdue).

Thirty Boilermakers have moved on to the National Basketball Association. Current Boilermakers in the N.B.A. include Brian Cardinal, Carl Landry and Brad Miller.

Last season’s run to the Sweet Sixteen was Purdue’s 24th trip to The Dance. Purdue reached the finals in ’69 along with the Final Four in ’80 along with Elite Eight showings in ’94 and 2000.

Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 11/21 vs. Oakland, 11/26 vs. Southern Illinois, 12/1 vs. Virginia Tech, 12/4 vs. Alabama, 1/16 at West Virginia

Stat of Identity: 4.8 turnover margin (fourth in the country).

Key Returners:

E’Twaun Moore 31.5 mpg, 16.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg

JaJuan Johnson 31.2 mpg, 15.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg

Kelsey Bralow 16 mpg, 3.4 ppg

Lewis Jackson 19.4 mpg, 2.3 ppg

By Paul Casey Gotham

A month ago, Purdue looked like a sure bet to make the Final Four. Then, Robbie Hummel went down with a season-ending knee injury. For most programs a loss such as Hummel would be devastating.

But the Boilermakers might become stronger for the experience.

It’s not as if the Boilermakers are unfamiliar with losing Hummel. The power forward went down with a knee injury late last season. Purdue made adjustments and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

E’Twaun Moore and Jauan Johnson are more than capable of carrying the Boilermakers.

Moore led Purdue in scoring including 51 three-pointers last year. Moore can hit from long range, can go to the basket and can finish from mid-range.

In a conference known for its rough and tumble nature under the basket, 6’10″ Johnson emerged as one the Big Ten’s strongest rebounders. Trying to measure his contributions by looking at his numbers is a disservice. Johnson clears space for his teammates to secure the rock.

Patrick Bade and D.J. Byrd will provide depth in the front court.

Lewis Jackson and Kelsey Barlow will share the point guard responsibilities.

Freshmen, Terone Johnson, Anthony Johnson (not brothers) and Travis Carroll will compete for playing time.

Ohio State at Purdue

A former Belt holder, the 1-5 Purdue Boilermakers coached by Alex Agase were next for the top-ranked, 6-0 Ohio State Buckeyes of coach Woody Hayes.  Ohio State had not allowed a score in the last 2 games & the concern was not for a Buckeyes’ win but for a defensive shutout.  Ohio State’s RB Pete Johnson rushed for 131 yards with 2 touchdowns while All-Big Ten QB Cornelius Greene threw for 2 touchdowns & rushed for another in a 35-6 Buckeye victory.  After forcing the Boilermakers to punt on their first possession, Johnson took the handoff on the first snap & went 60 yards for a touchdown giving Ohio State a 7-0 lead just 1:37 into the game.  Purdue scored the first points of the season by a Big Ten team against the Ohio State defense when PK Steve Schmidt hit a 22-yard field goal but on the ensuing kick-off, Ohio State’s Heisman Trophy winning, All-American RB Archie Griffin returned the kick 53 yards to the Purdue 37-yard line.  Seven plays later, Johnson scored on a 3-yard touchdown run as the Buckeyes took a 14-3 lead.  As Ohio State moved into scoring position on their next drive, Purdue’s LB Bob Manella intercepted Greene’s pass & returned it to the Boilermakers’ 24-yard line.  Purdue then used 15 plays to get into position for a 27-yard field goal by Schmidt.  Ohio State drove 80 yards in 12 plays on the next possession with Greene hitting WR Brian Baschnagel on the 22-yard touchdown pass giving the Buckeyes a 21-6 halftime lead.  Ohio State opened the 2^nd half with another 80-yard scoring drive; this one concluded with Greene finding WR Lenny Willis for a 41-yard touchdown pass & a 28-6 advantage.  When the Boilermakers were stopped on 4^th down at the Ohio State 10-yard line, the Buckeyes went 90 yards in 11 plays with Greene scoring on a 28-yard touchdown run on the first play of the final quarter.  Griffin’s 23-yard run midway through the final quarter breaking the NCAA career rushing record previously held Cornell’s RB Ed Marinaro was the highlight of the final period.  Greene finished with 103 yards passing while Griffin added 130 yards rushing to his career total.  Purdue’s QB Mark Vitali threw for 173 yards while RB Mike Pruitt finished with 127 yards rushing in the loss. Ohio State finished the season 11-1; Big Ten Champions & ranked 4^th nationally while the Boilermakers finished 4-7.  Purdue would play for The Belt again in 1981.

The College Football Belt

Michigan at Illinois

The 0-5 Illinois Fighting Illini, coached by Bob Blackman, stood little chance in their first Belt match-up against the 6^th ranked, 5-0 Michigan Wolverines coached by Bo Schembechler.  Wolverines’ RB Chuck Heater rushed for 155 yards with 2 touchdowns & WR Gil Chapman returned a kick-off 73 yards for another touchdown as Michigan rolled to a 31-7 win to retain The Belt.  After fumbling on their first offensive play, the Wolverines went 80 yards in 18 plays on their next series with Heater scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run.  Michigan’s All-Big Ten RB Ed Shuttlesworth finished the Wolverines’ next drive with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the 2^nd quarter for a 14-0 lead.  Heater’s second touchdown came on a 1-yard run with 4:09 left in the half & with just 0:03 in the half, Michigan’s PK Mike Lantry hit a 31-yard field goal giving the Wolverines a 24-0 lead at the intermission.  After a short punt late in the 3^rd quarter, the Illini drove 28 yards with RB George Uremovich breaking loose for an 18-yard touchdown run with just 0:37 left in the quarter but Chapman got the score right back with his kick-off return.  Illinois drove to the Michigan 2-yard line late in 4^th quarter but a fumble by Illinois’ RB Lonnie Perrin ended the threat.  Michigan’s QB Dennis Franklin threw for 103 yards with 2 interceptions while Illinois’ All-Big Ten QB Mike Wells threw for 105 yards in the loss.  Michigan finished the season 10-1; Big Ten Co-Champs, ranked 6^th nationally while the Illini finished the season 3-8.  Illinois would play for The Belt again in 1975.

The College Football Belt

Ohio State at Wisconsin

The 3^rd ranked, 5-0 Ohio State Buckeyes with coach Jim Tressel made their first road trip as Belt Champion to Camp Randall Stadium to meet the 23^rd ranked, 5-1 Wisconsin Badgers of coach Barry Alvarez.  The Buckeyes had shown little offense throughout the season except for a 44-point explosion in a triple overtime games against North Carolina State & it would surely cost them a game at some point.  Wisconsin would be the team to take advantage of that when a single mistake by All-Big Ten CB Chris Gamble cost the Buckeyes their Belt Championship in a 17-10 Wisconsin win.  In a driving rain storm, Wisconsin held the Buckeyes to 69 yards rushing & 3 of 12 on third down conversions while keeping the Buckeyes out of the end zone until the 4^th quarter.  The Badgers took a 7-0 lead on the first play of the 2^nd quarter when RB Booker Stanley scored on a 2-yard run.  Late in the half, Ohio State’s PK Mike Nugent connected on a 24-yard field goal attempt making the score Wisconsin 7 Ohio State 3.  Late in the 3rd quarter, the Badgers pushed their lead to 7 points as PK Mike Allen kicked a 38-yard field goal.  With 6:09 to play in the game, Buckeyes’ QB Craig Krenzel hit WR Michael Jenkins on a 6-yard touchdown that tied to score at 10-10 & it looked the Ohio State might pull out this game they way they had so many in the past 2 seasons but a single mistake would put Wisconsin in the driver’s seat.  Late in the 3^rd quarter, Badgers’ QB Jim Sorgi was knocked out of the game when Buckeyes’ LB Robert Reynolds shoved his fingers into his throat causing Sorgi breathing problems.  The play was not flagged but it cost Wisconsin their starting quarterback.  Back-up QB Matt Schabert had been unable to move the Badgers against the Ohio State defense & after the Buckeyes tied the score at 10-10 it seemed just another three & out by the Ohio State defense would give the Belt holders what they needed for a win.  With 5:30 left & Wisconsin facing a 2 & 9 from their own 21-yard line, Schabert dropped to pass as All-Big Ten WR Lee Evans ran an out pattern.  As Gamble tried to jump the out route, Evans turned up field & Schabert hit him in stride for his only catch of the day; a 79-yard touchdown giving the Badgers a 17-10 lead.  Wisconsin forced the Buckeyes to punt on their last possession & then ran out the clock to claim their second Belt Championship & first since 1981.  Krenzel finished with 202 yards passing with a touchdown, an interception, & was sacked 3 times.  Sorgi threw for 54 yards with an interception before leaving with the injury, Schabert completed 2 of his 3 pass attempts for 104 yards with a touchdown, & Stanley had 125 yards with a touchdown for the Badgers.  The Buckeyes finished the season 11-2; ranked 4^th nationally while the Badgers finished 7-6.  Ohio State would play for The Belt again in 6 weeks.

The College Football Belt

By Wally

Here’s a very interesting Q&A perspective on the future of College Football conferences written by Pete Fiutak of College Football News:

Q: I consider myself a relatively sane and rational person. So why is it that I’m having a hard time believing that Big Ten expansion talk is that big a deal? Many are predicting Armageddon, but I’m just not seeing it. Is this all really going to happen? – NR

A: Yeah, it’s really going to happen, but I can see where you’re coming from. The crazy part about all the speculation is that the Big Ten hasn’t actually done anything concrete, yet the mere speculation of what it might do has set in motion a whirlwind of chaos.